Why RIC is likely to remain a non-starter

Unless an active effort is made to remove the fear of the Middle Kingdom from the minds of the Indian public, there will be few takers for the idea of a Russia-India-China alliance.

So strong are the pro-Russia
sentiments in India that a summit between the leaders of the two countries would
be viewed positively even if the only outcome is an exchange of smiles,
handshakes and declarations of friendship. Even those that are unabashedly
pro-Western in India and desperately seeking a Green Card grudgingly admit that
in the grand scheme of things, Russia is one of India’s most reliable partners.
However, the concept of a Russia-India-China (RIC) alliance is a hard sell in a
country where many view India’s northern neighbour as hostile.

India’s humiliating defeat at the
hands of China in the 1962 War has badly affected the national psyche and even
after five decades, the scars of the brief Himalayan border confrontation have
not healed. The Indian government and defence establishment both view China as
a potential threat and this is reflected in tight visa restrictions for Chinese
nationals who want to visit the country. Then there are the private television
channels that hype up border incursions by the Chinese army and create some
sort of hysteria. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of these channels and
anti-China think tanks and analysts in India are on the payroll of Western arms
suppliers, who would be the biggest beneficiary of hostilities between the two
Asian giants.

If more Indians visited China, they
would understand that the country and its people do not reciprocate the
hostility that many in India have for the giant neighbour. Essentially the
India-China rivalry exists only in the minds of Western and Indian analysts. Most
Chinese have very little access to information about India and since the
state-run media is not obsessed with maligning the South Asian country, there
is an overall positive feeling. Besides, for China, the real enemy will always
be Japan, which was responsible for 20 million Chinese deaths during the Second
World War and till date has not had the decency to apologize for wartime
atrocities.

Then there are the flimsy arguments
in India on the lines of China supporting Pakistan and propping up the country
against India. Why do these China-haters not have issues with America’s almost
unconditional financial aid and arming of Pakistan then? What about Saudi
Arabia’s support of India’s most hostile neighbour? America’s support of Pakistan hasn’t stopped
many an Indian of dreaming of a better life in the “Promised Land,” nor does
Saudi backing of the Islamabad act as a deterrent for those seeking a
livelihood in the kingdom. It’s obvious that there is an industry in India
thrives from the paranoia surrounding China.

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Many in India call for better trade
relations with Pakistan and movement in other areas, despite the latter’s
occasional insistence that solving the so-called Kashmir dispute is the only
way to move head. China on the other hand talks of “harmony with differences”
and wants greater engagement and people-to-people contact with India, yet few
people are ready to take Beijing at face value. The reason behind this is clearly the lack of both
political will and the correct overtures from those in power in New Delhi.

In Russia, there have long been fears
that China is planning some kind of demographic invasion of Siberia and the
Russian Far East. In fact, the two countries have had their fair share of wars
over the centuries (compare this to just 1 minor war between India and China). Yet
Vladimir Putin made relations with China a priority of his foreign policy and
has worked tirelessly to develop political and business ties with the one-time
adversary. This has clearly benefitted both countries. With greater engagement
and strong political will, the fear surrounding China in Russia has drastically
reduced.

Russia is the initiator and backer of
the RIC concept and strongly believes that greater engagement between the
countries in a multi-lateral format would help all three countries economically
and also help bring about a more just world order. India needs to show greater
pragmatism when it comes to China and use both RIC and BRICS as a way to
improve relations with its northern neighbour.

The Indian security establishment
clearly understands that China has no nefarious designs when it comes to India
and is not planning to destabilise the country. A stable strong and booming
India is in China’s best interests. Given the fact the Middle Kingdom thrives
on trade, political stability and economic growth in India would only mean an
increase in exports of Chinese products to the country.

Clearly, India needs to follow the
Russian example and develop better and all encompassing ties with China, the
initiative for which has to come from the top. New Delhi needs to make a clear
effort to promote diplomatic and cultural ties with Beijing even if there is
opposition from the Sinophobes in the country, many of whom are backed by those
that are clearly not well-wishers of India. The concept of RIC will only be
acceptable to the Indian public, if the government treats China like a partner
and helps remove misplaced public fears surrounding the country.